The present invention is directed toward a combined tool for needlework and more particularly toward a tool which includes a pick, a pair of tweezers and a pair of needle threaders all arranged so as to be conveniently and easily utilized primarily for, but not limited to, needlework stitch correction and repair procedures.
Removing and replacing isolated or multiple stitches are functions which usually are involved in most forms of embroidery and canvas work. While not necessarily designed for this procedure, the implements and devices most commonly used includes the stitching needle, needle threader, thimble and tweezers. These stitching aids are generally acceptable for use with hand-held ground fabrics where the fabric remains flexible and easily manipulated for performing various stitching procedures. However, they have certain limitations when used on ground fabric, particularly needlepoint canvas, that is tightly stretched and securely mounted to a needlework frame, where the fabric remains taut and cannot be manipulated as needed.
To explain these limitations, when working on frame-mounted fabric, the stitcher is restricted not only to a flat, unflexible surface, but also to the confines of the needlework frame. As a result, several of the implements or devices which normlly are used for hand-held stitching often are rendered inadequate, or must be manipulated and maneuvered to perform as desired. Specifically, embroidery and tapestry needles are characteristically short, straight and thin, making their use impractical for lifting and removing larger areas of stitching from a firm flat surface. Needle threaders, as described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,838,801 and 3,840,160 are designed primarily for threading hand-held needles rather than needles positioned under worked stitches. Because of their thin flat design, they can be awkward to handle and difficult to maneuver when threading a positioned needle lying substantially on a flat taut surface, and particularly when threading said needle with very short yarn and thread lengths. The rounded shape of a conventional thimble makes it difficult to position for proper contact with the ends of a needle positioned on a taut flat stitched surface.
At the present time, there is no single device known to Applicant which has been developed for correcting stitching errors and which can be used interchangeably with the different methods of stitching. However, several attempts have been made in the past to combine two primary tools into a single useful device. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 951,891 and 1,230,142 describe devices which have a curved hook or pick-like element at one end thereof and tweezers adjacent the other end. U.S. Pat. No. 2,416,260, on the other hand, discloses a device which includes a pick element adjacent one end and retractable needle threader at the other end thereof. None of these patents, nor any others known to Applicant, however, combine all three tools in a single device nor are they conveniently arranged with respect to each other so as to be particularly useful for needlework.